Sir Graeme Dingle, KNZM, MBE is known as the father of outdoor pursuits in New Zealand. He has undertaken innumerable adventures around the globe, including hundreds of mountaineering, rock climbing and adventuring firsts. He was named by Wilderness magazine as one of the greatest New Zealand climbers of all time.
He is a published author, a painter and has been involved in the production of more than 20 adventure films. His book, Dingle: Discovering the Sense in Adventure, won Best Biography at the 2006 Montana Book Awards.
His legacy, however, will be in the humanitarian space, having founded the Graeme Dingle Foundation (formerly the Project K Trust) with his wife Jo-anne Wilkinson, CNZM, LLB, Lady Dingle. He is a principal fundraiser for the organisation, which includes tens of thousands of young people in its programmes each year, and a Trustee of the Graeme Dingle Foundation Endowment Trust.
Sir Graeme Dingle is the recipient of numerous awards including: an MBE for services to outdoor pursuits; the Award of New Zealand for services to recreation and sport; the Antarctic Service Medal of the United States; the Deloitte Top 200 Companies Visionary Leader Award; ONZM for services to young people; and a life member of the New Zealand Alpine Club. He also received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010 from Sport New Zealand, for services to outdoor recreation; and the Outdoors New Zealand Supreme Award, in 2011. He was Knighted in 2017 for services to young people.